The Mary Hamilton Papers : Journal-letter from John Dickenson to Mary Hamilton

Dickenson, John

The Mary Hamilton Papers

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Journal-letter from John Dickenson to his wife Mary née Hamilton covering the period 23-24 February 1786. He recounts Mrs Vesey's party, where Hannah More had added a section to his letter (HAM/1/2/8/1). He visited Mrs Vesey and Mrs Delany who asked him to tell Hamilton that she does all she can to keep up her spirits, including playing with a kitten. He writes of the errands he has run, and has complained to the Comptrollers of the Post Office about the difficulty of receiving letters from Derbyshire. He spends the evening with friends at Portland Place and then at Lady Warwick's house.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Dickenson writes of seeing Mr Antrobus at the Cremorne's Chelsea house, and that he had been ‘so impertinent as to desire I would present his Love to you’. He visits a variety of friends, including Mr Burrows, who tells him an anecdote about the murder of Tsar Peter III of Russia by Count Orlov. He also visits Frederick Hamilton and his family, where he hears Miss Hamilton sing. In the evening he visits Mrs Delany, where he is introduced to Mary Hamilton's cousin, Charles Greville. Greville gives Dickenson 2 free franks for his letters home. The letter ends abruptly, at the end of the sheet.</p>